5 Netflix Movies You Need to Watch This Week (August 11

Netflix is jam-packed full of great movies if you know where to look. And that’s right here in my weekly round-up, where I dish up a handful of movies that I’ve watched and award many gold stars to.

Movies regularly come and go from Netflix, so don’t wait too long if something here catches your eye—dim the lights, get settled in, and prepare to be entertained.

5

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park has gone on to spawn many sequels, including this year’s Rebirth, but nothing has ever topped Steven Spielberg’s 1993 original. Over three decades later, it’s still utterly thrilling and a near-perfect movie, about a group of humans who are trapped on an island teeming with dinosaurs. Thanks to a combination of innovative CGI and animatronics, the reptiles look fantastic and frightening—they’re the stars of the show, even up against legendary actors like Sam Neill and Laura Dern.

Then you’ve got the well-written dialogue, the legendary theme from composer John Williams, and exciting action sequences. These elements all come together to create a movie that captures the imagination of adults and older children alike. Welcome… to Jurassic Park!

4

Groundhog Day

1993 was a good year for films because it also gave us Groundhog Day, the time looping comedy from director Harold Ramis that stars Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. As Phil Connors, a self-centered TV weatherman, this is one of Murray’s best roles. After begrudgingly reporting on the annual weather forecasting talents of a groundhog, Phil finds himself living the same day over and over—something that no one else is aware of and not even death can escape him from.

That sounds dramatic, but Groundhog Day is actually a delightful and funny film, as Phil goes through various emotional states in response to his bizarre situation. There’s also an unconventional (you could call it questionable) romance at the heart of it, with MacDowell more than holding her own against Murray as news producer Rita. Campers, rise and shine, and watch Groundhog Day this week, whether for the first or hundredth time.

3

KPop Demon Hunters

Sometimes a movie comes out of nowhere and instantly becomes a phenomenon. That movie is KPop Demon Hunters, which smashed its way up Netflix’s chart on release this year and already has the streamer planning how it can milk it for all it’s worth. But let’s focus on what does exist, which is this gloriously fun animated flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

It’s about a K-pop girl group who hunt demons—when they’re not on stage singing to their legions of adoring fans, that is. The characters are charming, the visuals are colorful and dynamic, and the music is genuinely great rather than being an afterthought. Watch it now before you become the only person who hasn’t.

2

The Departed

The Departed has a stacked cast, featuring talent like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson, and is directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. That should be enough reason to watch this crime thriller, in which DiCaprio’s Billy goes undercover in the mob while Damon’s Colin is a mole in the police. The two parties realize that there is foul play within their ranks and race to flush it out.

Surprisingly, this is the only film that Scorsese has ever won an Oscar for. It also picked up three others at the ceremony, including Best Picture, and it’s easy to see why. It’s violent and gritty, it has outstanding performances, and the story grips you from beginning to end (and what a memorable ending it is). All that and it has some incredibly quotable dialogue, much of it hilariously delivered by Mark Wahlberg’s police sergeant.

1

Dune

Make no mistake: I am recommending that you watch Denis Villeneuve’s take on Dune, rather than David Lynch’s curious 1984 production. Villeneuve has established himself as a masterful director (and has recently been given the keys to the next Bond film), with the likes of Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, but it’s Dune that is perhaps his most ambitious and successful movie to date.

The sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert is an intimidating read, but that translates to a spectacle on screen; it not only looks beautiful, but the sound is immersive too. Timothée Chalamet is at the center of it as Paul Atreides, a young man who holds a great destiny amidst a battle for a sacred resource. Netflix also has Dune: Part Two, with the third and final installment coming to theaters next year.

If you speed through this selection and need more, I’ll be back next week with five fresh choices. Netflix also has new movies landing in August, so there is plenty to keep you entertained.